Sifter



W. D. HUGHES.

SIFTER.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21,1918- 1,322,241. j I Patented N0v.18,1919.-

9 r I? Z 7 INVENTOR William 5. Ji fy/1Z9.

WITNESSES- wfiw z v ATTORNEY UNITED srarns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. HUGHES, OF CONDON, OREGON.

SIFTER.

Application filed February 21, 1918.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM D. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Condon, in the county of Gilliam and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to utensils, and more particularly to sifters designed for household use, the purpose being the provision of an article of this nature which is effective in operation, capable of being easily manufactured, and which is light, durable, and susceptible of being manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

An essential feature of the invention is the provision of a combined agitator and force feeder which embodies arms to pass through the material to be sifted and prevent the banking of the same in the casing, and blades which sub-serve the two-fold office of lifting and loosening the material when traveling in one direction and to compress such material and force the same through the meshes or openings of the screen bottom when traveling in the opposite direction, the latter operation enabling lumps to be crushed and forcibly delivered.

The drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a sifter embodying the invention, portions being broken away to show more clearly the structural details.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sifter, the upper portion of the shaft being in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indi cated in both views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The body of the sifter comprises a casing l which may be of any construction and capacity best adapted for the specific use for which the device is intended. A handle 2 is attached to one side of the casing for convenience of manipulation. A screen bottom 3 is disposed within the lower portion of the casing a short distance from the bottom thereof and is attached at its edges to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 218,519. 7

inner walls of the casin in any manner.

This screen bottom 3 may be of any material commonly employed in the manufacture of household sifters. The screen bottom 3 is strengthened and reinforced by means of a brace 4 which is secured at i s ends to the walls of the casing in any manner. As

shown most clearly in Fig. 1, the ends of and 8. As clearly indicated, the fastenings 5 connect corresponding bent ends of the handle and brace 4, whereas the fastenings 8 connect the bent ends of the handle 2 and brace 6. In this manner, the casing is relieved in great measure of the weight and strain which would otherwise be imposed thereon.

A shaft 9 is journaled in the braces 4 and 6 and is provided at its upper end with a crank handle 10. At points in its length, the shaft 9 is flattened, as indicated at 11 and 12, said flattened portions being tapered and extending beyond opposite sides of the shaft. The outer ends of the parts 11 and 12' constitute shoulders which engage the inner sides of the braces 6 and 4, thereby preventing vertical movement of the shaft and retaining it in proper position.

The combined agitator and force feeder is mounted upon the shaft 9 and rotates therewith, and comprises oppositely inclined arms 13 and opposed blades 14. A cross piece 15 connects the upper ends of the arms 13 and is centrally apertured to receive the flattened portion 11 of the shaft. The blades 14 constitute parts of a single strip which is centrally apertured to receive the flattened portion 12 of the shaft. The several parts, 13, 14, and 15 are of integral formation and consist of a single strip which is bent upon itself. The blades 14 are disposed in close relationship to the screen bottom 3 so as to sweep thereover. These blades incline transversely so that their forward edges are approximately in contact with the screen bottom 3 and their rear edges are spaced a short distance from the screen bottom. It will thus be understood that when the sifter is in Service, the material is slightly lifted by the blades when the same are caused to travel in aclockwise direction. By rotating the blades in an anti-clock-wise direction, the material is slightly compressed and forced through the screen bottom. It will be understood that should any lumps exist in the material, the same are subjected to a combined compressive and rubbing action when the blades are reversely rotated, with the result that such lumps are crushed and positively fed through the meshes or openings of the screen bottom. It will be understood from the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the invention results in the provision of a sitter for household use which is light, efficient, and lasting which may be obtained at a minimum cost because of the simplicity of structure and the ease and quickness with which the parts may be assembled.

lVhat I claim is 1. A house-hold sifter comprising a casing, a screen bottom Within the casing, a brace reinforcing the screen bottom, an upper brace Within the casing, a shaft journaled in said braces and having flattened portions forming shoulders to engage the opposed sides of the braces to retain the shaft in proper position, and a combined agitator and force feeder mounted upon the shaft and engaging the widened portions thereof, whereby the shaft and combined agitator and force feeder rotate together.

2. A house-hold sifter comprising a casing, a screen bottom within the casing, a lower brace reinforcing the screen bottom, an upper brace, both braces having their end portions bent, fastenings connecting the bent ends of the braces with the casing, a handle having its end portions bent and secured to the casing by means of the same fastenings which connect the bent ends of the braces thereto, a shaft mounted in the braces and having portions flattened to form shoulders engaging the opposed sides of the braces and hold the shaft in given position, and a combined agitator and force feeder mounted upon the shaft and engaging fiattened portions thereof, said agitator and feeder comprising oppositely inclined arms and oppositely disposed blades, the latter being transversely inclined to their path of travel.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM D. HUGHES. lVitnesses RILEY VVASHBURX, A. S. HOLLEN. 

